DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel hit Iran with a series of airstrikes early Saturday, saying it targeted military facilities in retaliation for ballistic missiles Iran fired at Israel earlier in the month.

While explosions could be heard in Iran’s capital Tehran, the Islamic Republic insisted they caused only “limited damage”.

The attack brings the arch-foes closer to all-out war at a time when violence is spiraling in the Middle East, where Iranian-backed militant groups including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon are already at war with Israel.

Saturday marked the first time the Israeli military openly attacked Iran, which has not been under sustained fire from a foreign enemy since its war with Iraq in the 1980s.

The hours-long Israeli offensive ended just before sunrise in Tehran, with the Israeli military saying it targeted “missile production facilities used to produce the missiles Iran fired at the state of Israel last year.” It also stated that it had struck surface-to-air missile sites and “additional Iranian air capabilities.”

Israel did not provide any initial damage assessment.

Initially, nuclear facilities and oil facilities were considered possible targets in Israel’s response to Iran’s October 1 attack, but in mid-October the Biden administration received assurances from Israel that it would not strike such targets; climbing.

“The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7, including direct attacks from Iranian territory,” Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a pre-recorded video statement early Saturday. “The state of Israel, like every other sovereign country in the world, has the right and duty to respond.”

The Iranian military said the attacks targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces and caused “limited damage”, without providing further details.

The US has warned against further retaliation, saying the night strikes should put an end to direct exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran.

The Israeli army said that explosions were heard in northern Israel following its activities in southern Lebanon, but “there is no indication of a security incident.”

Iran downplayed Israeli attack

Iran’s state media acknowledged explosions that could be heard in Tehran, saying some of the sounds came from air defense systems around the city.

But beyond a brief reference, Iranian state television offered no further details for hours and even began broadcasting live footage of men loading trucks onto trucks at a Tehran vegetable market in an attempt to downplay the attack.

A Tehran resident who spoke to the Associated Press said that at least seven explosions were heard in the first wave of attacks, shaking the environment. The resident spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

As the explosions were heard, people in Tehran could see what looked like streaked firelight in the sky. Other images showed surface-to-air missiles being launched.

Iran closed the country’s airspace early Saturday, and flight tracking data analyzed by the AP showed commercial airlines widely abandoned airlines across Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Iran’s move to quickly downplay the attack could give it a way to avoid responding, which could risk further escalation.

“The Israel Defense Forces fulfilled their mission,” Hagari said in a later video. “If the regime in Iran makes the mistake of starting a new round of tensions, we will have to respond.”

Israel’s attack was a response to Iran’s attacks

Iran fired a series of missiles and drones at Israel in April after two Iranian generals were killed in an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria. The missiles and drones caused minimal damage, and Israel, under pressure from Western countries to show restraint, responded with a limited strike that it did not openly claim.

Iran fired at least 180 missiles at Israel on the evening of October 1, sending Israelis running toward bomb shelters but causing little damage and few injuries. Iran said the dam was in retaliation for attacks in recent months in which leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian army were killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly said Iran had “made a big mistake.”

Before Iran’s October attack, Israel had dealt a series of devastating blows to Hezbollah, which had fired rockets at Israel almost daily for more than a year since the deadly Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.

Dozens of people were killed and thousands were injured when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded during two days of attacks attributed to Israel in September. The following week, a major Israeli airstrike outside Beirut killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and several of his top commanders.

Israel then increased the pressure on Hezbollah by launching a ground operation in Southern Lebanon. More than a million Lebanese have been displaced and the death toll has risen sharply due to air strikes in and around Beirut.

Israel has said it will continue to strike Hezbollah until it is safe for Israeli citizens displaced from their homes near the Lebanese border to return. Hezbollah has vowed to continue firing rockets at Israel until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

US warns against retaliation

The White House stated that Israel’s attacks on Iran should end direct exchanges of fire between the two hostile countries, while warning Tehran of “consequences” if it responds.

A senior White House official said the administration believes the Israeli operation should “close down” direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran, and other allies agree.

The official stated that US President Joe Biden received up-to-date information throughout Israel’s operation and underlined that the US had no involvement in the attack.

The official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity in accordance with the ground rules set by the White House, said the Israeli operation was “comprehensive, targeted and precise.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant about Israeli strikes against military targets in Iran, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said late Friday.

In a statement by the Pentagon press secretary, Austin reiterated that the United States is committed to the security of its ally and that Israel has the right to defend itself, but Washington is determined to prevent the conflict from spreading.

Israel’s attack is the last of the Middle East wars

When Hamas and other militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, they killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took nearly 250 people hostage in Gaza. In response, Israel launched a devastating air and ground offensive against Hamas, and Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting until all hostages were released. About 100 people remained, and roughly a third are believed to be dead.

More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, but more than half of the dead are women and children, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Israel and Iran have been bitter enemies since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel sees Iran as the biggest threat, citing its leaders’ calls for Israel’s destruction, their support for anti-Israel militant groups, and the country’s nuclear program.

During years of shadow wars, a suspected Israeli assassination campaign killed leading Iranian nuclear scientists and had Iran’s nuclear facilities hacked or sabotaged; All of this happened because of mysterious attacks for which Israel was blamed.

Iran, meanwhile, has been blamed for a series of attacks on shipping in the Middle East in recent years, which later escalated into attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen on shipping via the Red Sea corridor.

Since Hamas’ October 7 attack, its shadow war has increasingly come to light.

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Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel; Abby Sewell in Beirut; and Lolita C. Baldor, Farnoush Amiri, and Zeke Miller in Washington; and Aamer Madhani in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.